Pippin had once been a miner, working in dimly lit shafts, sweat soaking his clothes. Being dirty and grimy was ordinary.
Even after spending a long time there, even the occasional rat scurrying around a corner ceased to be bothersome.
Therefore, when Pippin first saw Griffith coming to free the miners, he was drawn to his radiant and unyielding presence. Without hesitation, he decided to follow him.
Griffith possessed that kind of magic. Anyone who saw him at first glance would be captivated and feel they needed to dedicate something to him.
Following Griffith, enveloped in his great dream, and moving forward bravely and fearlessly—this became the image of Pippin's later life.
However, after the Eclipse—no, to be precise, everything had changed earlier, after Griffith was thrown into the dungeon.
His bright path had vanished. Now he found himself in a place more terrifying than a suffocating and oppressive mine. His comrades in arms were falling one after another, yet he was powerless to protect himself.
Pippin was not a man of many words. He was silent, always using his narrowed eyes and careful emotions to observe and feel everything around him, and finally come to his own conclusions.
Now he had come to a conclusion: I'm afraid it's all over. The Hawk Company ends here. We're all going to hell—no, we're already in hell.
The only thing he could control in his hand was a sharp mining pick.
It was ridiculous to say that his previous weapon—a spiked club—had been damaged in a brief fight with these monsters. So he had grabbed a sharp mining pick to use.
As if he had done it countless times in that dark mine, he raised the sharp pick, as if fighting side by side with a friend with whom he had a very close relationship.
With the pick, blood and flesh spattered!
Pippin couldn't help but grip the sharp pick tightly and sigh inwardly: Old friend, the main thing is that you are the most reliable.
But will I stop here? Is the dream of the Hawk Company over here? This should be the end... I...
Suddenly, Pippin remembered Casca and the efforts of the acting commander over the past year.
Why am I so foolish? Why did I forget about Casca?
It's not too late yet. Yes, it's not too late! As long as Casca is alive, as long as she is alive, the Hawk Company is still alive and can be resurrected again!
I... I can still do something—use my life to protect her! Just like the promise I made to that Griffith in my heart, Casca will never let us down!
Pippin swung his sharp pick. For a moment, he was like an enraged King Kong, roaring fiercely and smashing another monster's head. He then rolled out from under the attack of a large group of monsters.
I must not die here!
He suppressed the fear that humans could not bear, narrowed his eyes, and burned his life to find Casca.
However, the number of monsters was too many. They were densely packed.
At first, Pippin had been supported by comrades in arms, but now he was fighting alone. How could he break through such an encirclement? How could he find Casca?
He didn't think much about this, or even about how Casca could survive in this demonic tide. He just swung his sharp mining pick to break through, even if he was panting and exhausted...
I must...
CRASH—!
An explosion!
The wall of monsters that had been blocking Pippin was suddenly shattered. The monsters before him were smashed one after another and crashed to the ground in a swirling dance.
Pippin couldn't believe they were so fragile. Clearly, even when his sharp pick hit them, it took several blows to kill a monster.
A dark shadow enveloped him.
Seeing a tall horse appear before him, Pippin even had an illusion: Is there a monster of this shape? Is it here to take my life?
But there was a person on the horse, and Pippin quickly realized it.
Because he saw Nidhogg riding it, swinging his halberd and defeating the surrounding monsters, causing this group of greedy monsters to retreat in fear and burrow into the surrounding darkness.
He even saw Corkus, sweating profusely, sitting behind Nidhogg, shouting to him, "Look! Pippin! Nidhogg and I worked together to kill this group of monsters! We're here to save you!"
Pippin ignored Corkus's words and just stared blankly at Nidhogg.
Then he couldn't help but blurt out and ask, "Nidhogg, what does it really mean to chase a dream? I can't tell anymore!"
When Corkus heard this, he couldn't help but scold, "Is this the time to ask such questions?"
He had completely forgotten that a minute ago, he had still been panicking and crying. If Nidhogg hadn't slapped him twice, and if Nidhogg hadn't been invincible along the way, he would probably still be in a state of deep fear.
Nidhogg heard Pippin's question, but he didn't hesitate long. He pointed his golden halberd at the retreating Apostles.
"They also claim to be dream chasers. But I think they're just a group of greedy people willing to sacrifice everything, chasing so-called dreams with no profit, and even willing to stain the very concept of 'dream' itself."
He turned his golden halberd again, pointed it at Pippin, and said:
"You are the true dream chasers. You fight bloody battles for your dreams, yet you adhere to your core purpose and faith. You support each other and are willing to lose from the very beginning."
"Whether you can calmly and peacefully admit your defeat in the pursuit of your dreams is the difference between you and them! Even the difference between humans and demons! They will never understand that!"
Pippin was stunned by this. His small eyes widened slightly, as if he were pondering Nidhogg's words.
At that moment, Nidhogg spoke again:
"Pippin, I have bad news and good news! The bad news is that you're too heavy. My horse won't be able to carry the three of us unless you lose Corkus."
"Hey!" Corkus shouted discontentedly from behind him. "I shot a lot of monsters with my crossbow along the way. Do you want to unload and kill the donkey?"
Nidhogg ignored Corkus. He simply produced his Spirit Calling Bell, shook it a few times, and said, "The good news is that I will summon the two most powerful knights under my command. You will fight alongside them."
The "Lost Knights" Oleg and Ingvall, who had just dissipated, materialized, drew their swords and halberd, and stood on either side.
Nidhogg took another sip of Cerulean Tears, then raised his Golden Halberd and used "Skill: Golden Vow." Golden light enveloped the three of them and the two knight spirits.
Both Pippin and Corkus could clearly feel power surging from their bodies, as if they had suddenly been enlightened in their combat state.
This power... Pippin gripped his sharp pick. Confidence rose in his heart. He suddenly remembered something important and asked, "Nidhogg, have you seen anyone else? Especially Casca?"
"I asked Guts to find Casca. Now I'm looking for them, but I can't find them anywhere," Nidhogg said.
At that moment, Corkus suddenly patted Nidhogg on the shoulder, signaling Nidhogg and Pippin to look in the direction of his pointing finger. "Hey, look over there. Seems like a lot of commotion!"
Pippin couldn't see clearly standing. Nidhogg, mounted, turned his head and, sure enough, saw waves of monsters gathering in one direction, like a fishing net gradually tightening.
"To cause such a big battle, it must be Guts and the others." Nidhogg raised his Golden Halberd and pointed in that direction. "Let's go to them!"
---
At the same time.
Judeau fell into Casca's arms, covered in blood.
To protect Casca, he had exhausted all his throwing knives and had his twin swords broken. His right hand had also been bitten and was already bloody.
However, his persistence was worth it. He had finally held on until Guts, descending from the heavens like a divine weapon. The Dragonslayer danced fiercely, cutting down the surrounding monsters so they couldn't get close and harm Casca.
This was what Judeau wanted to see. So, after holding on for a long time, he finally couldn't hold on any longer, fell, and was caught by Casca.
Perhaps dying in the arms of a loved one is also a good ending, Judeau thought silently.
Casca watched Guts plunge into the demonic tide. Though it looked like he was slicing through melons and vegetables, it was actually extremely dangerous. She was worried.
But what hurt her even more was that Judeau had been so severely injured protecting her.
Judeau had lost so much blood that he couldn't stand. Even when Casca tried to help him up, he quickly slipped down.
By this point, Judeau had woken up and realized he couldn't leave alive.
He gasped sharply, gently patted Casca's arm, and smiled weakly. "Leave me here and run with Guts."
"No!" Casca refused with tears in her eyes.
After the Eclipse brand had struck her left chest and the palm of Judeau's left hand, they had seen enough of their Hawk Company comrades die, and in extremely brutal ways.
It was as if all the sins they had committed along the way were being avenged at this moment, making them suffer the torments of hell.
But had they truly committed such heinous sins as to deserve this punishment?
However, despite this, Casca didn't want to see Judeau die again.
"Let me go." Judeau pretended to be calm and sincere, but in reality, he was growing weaker and weaker. "If it were Guts and you, there might be a chance to escape... If you meet Nidhogg, your chances will be even higher."
"You are the general of the Hawk Company, aren't you?"
"What happened today is just a reenactment of the encirclement and suppression from a year ago. We've been betrayed again. I should have thought of this long ago, but I was never ready to admit it in my heart."
"I can't go on anymore. Now I need you, the general, to stand up again and make a courageous decision!"
"What must remain, remain. What must scatter, scatter. What must be focused, focus. Despite the pain, save the most vital force. Break through at one point. Kill... kill..."
In the end, Judeau's eyes were already bright and dim, as if his life was about to burn out.
"Judeau!" Casca sobbed, calling his name.
Judeau looked at Casca's crying face, smiled calmly, and murmured, "You guy, you really cry a lot..."
He was about to close his eyes and wait for death when he suddenly felt something flash in the dark sky. A heavy object fell to the ground, making Casca scream.
Was it one of those flying monsters?
Judeau couldn't help but feel a little reluctant.
He struggled, trying to grab a broken knife that had fallen to the ground and fight the monster to the death, even if he died tragically, to buy time for Casca and Guts to escape.
However, what appeared before his eyes was not the disgusting face of a monster, but a familiar face—Nidhogg's. It felt like a hallucination before death.
"Watch out!" Nidhogg poured a few sips of Crimson Tears into Judeau's mouth. "With me here, you can't die!"
Casca exclaimed in surprise, "Nidhogg, Corkus, you're all alive!"
"Yes, we're all alive!" Corkus dismounted, uttering the most suitable blessing for everyone at that moment.
Judeau swallowed a few sips of Crimson Tears. His previously chaotic consciousness became clear again. The blood that had been gushing stopped. Some wounds even slowly healed under the pressure of this life force.
He clearly saw that the person before him was indeed Nidhogg. Then he saw Corkus nearby and couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"There's no need to waste such a precious thing on a seriously injured person..."
"As long as you survive, it's not a waste." Nidhogg stood up and looked at Guts, who was fighting bloody battles nearby.
Guts also noticed him. When he saw Nidhogg and Corkus flying over the heads of the monsters on Torrent, Guts was surprised and overjoyed, and at the same time, he made a decision.
On one hand, he learned that Nidhogg and Corkus were alive. That was very good news.
On the other hand, he knew they were here to help Casca and Judeau, to ensure that no more monsters would attack them.
In this Eclipse, Guts clearly understood that there was no more reassuring sight than seeing Nidhogg nearby.
The Dragonslayer grew even fiercer in his hands. Without the slightest hesitation or fear, he swept through—a group of monsters was cut in two!
FWOOSH—!
At that moment, three figures emerged before him, lining up with him to attack the monsters.
It was like a hammer meeting a cutting board. Together, they crushed the monster in the middle into meat paste!
"Guts!" Pippin, covered in blood but in high spirits, ran up to him.
Guts was stunned and shouted, "Pippin, you're here too!"
"Nidhogg saved me!" Pippin pointed toward Nidhogg, then at the two Lost Knights who were still killing monsters beside him. "These are the knights Nidhogg summoned!"
"What's going on... Eh, forget it. I don't care what he does. I just hope the more tricks he has, the better!" Guts replied.
After that, Pippin and Guts killed several more monsters in a row. Then Pippin said, "Let's go. Retreat to Nidhogg. He should have a way to get us out of this hellish place!"
"Alright!" Guts shouted.
So the two of them, along with the two Lost Knights, retreated while fighting and returned to Nidhogg and the others.
By this time, Corkus was already supporting the wounded Judeau along with Casca.
Nidhogg swung his Golden Halberd around the perimeter, killing the monsters that refused to give up and tried to attack.
Seeing that Guts and Pippin had retreated to their positions, Nidhogg gently tapped his chest and said, "Melina, it's time for you to act."
Stardust coalesced into a girl with chestnut hair in a cloak—a girl no one knew, but who was already walking beside them.
Melina always kept her left eye closed, but with her right eye, she surveyed the hellish scene, then raised her hands and prayed silently.
Incantation: Grace and Blessing!
With a soft thud, a golden ring-shaped prayer circle was created at everyone's feet. It rapidly expanded, enveloping them all and imparting the power of blessing to everyone.
Everyone had fought until now, more or less wounded. Under the cover of grace and blessings, they felt the pain in their bodies lessen slightly. Some small wounds even began to heal on their own!
As long as the blessing lasted, they would always heal within the prayer circle.
Guts, Pippin, and Corkus stared at their bodies in disbelief.
Casca was even more pleased to see Judeau's broken right hand involuntarily healing significantly.
If things continued like this, as long as they could leave this place, Judeau would definitely survive.
Everyone couldn't help but look at Nidhogg and the girl in the cloak who had suddenly appeared.
"Good job, Melina." Nidhogg gave Melina a thumbs-up.
Melina still looked cold, but she suddenly looked up, gazed into the air with her right eye, and said, "What's next?"
BOOM—!
Before she finished speaking, everyone instinctively felt a terrifying sense of oppression pressing down like a mountain.
If not for Nidhogg being the most imposing at the front, the rest would probably have involuntarily fallen to their knees as soon as they felt this evil energy.
When they looked up together, they saw a pitch-black egg slowly falling from the air and landing before their eyes.
When the "egg" unfolded, everyone realized it wasn't an "egg," but a demon spreading its black wings.
He wore a black eagle helmet and the same dark, hard leather armor. His evil pupils slid across the faces of everyone before him, one by one.
No more words were needed. No proof was required. Everyone immediately understood who stood before them, even if his current form was vastly different from before.
From the giant hand, a magical sound emanated.
"The Fifth Fortune King, the new Demon King, is born! Our new kinsman, who bears the name of a devil alongside us—'Dark Wings' Femto!"
Femto stood before his former Hawk Company, as if sighing at what had long passed, and smiled with relief.